Year-long crackdown on trucks delivers results for NSW

NSW releases figures from a year-long crackdown on trucks, saying there has been a massive drop in speeding incidents

Year-long crackdown on trucks nets results

February 18, 2013

New South Wales has claimed victory against rogue truckers after a year-long crackdown, pointing to a significant drop in the rate of speeding incidents.

The number of heavy vehicles detected speeding at more than 105km/h has fallen by 79 percent in the past year, according to the latest Roads and Maritime Services (RMS) and NSW Police figures.

More than 2,500 trucks were inspected last year, resulting in 93 being grounded for having non-compliant speed limiters.

NSW Police Superintendent Stuart Smith says more than 800 defects and infringement notices were also issued for a range of other offences. There were 6,000 random drug tests conducted, with 70 drivers returning a positive result.

Minister for Roads and Ports Duncan Gay says the coordinated enforcement efforts of NSW Police and the RMS has paid off.

Both agencies began actively targeting unsafe behaviour in the trucking industry after a then Lennons Transport driver allegedly crossed a median strip on the Pacific Highway and collided with a car in January 2012, killing the three occupants. Vincent Samuel George has been charged with three counts of manslaughter.

Despite the drop in figures, Smith says police and the RMS will continue to keep an eye on the trucking industry in 2013.

"When it comes to heavy vehicles, there is very little room for error. We know that if trucks speed, carry inadequately restrained loads, or a driven by drink or drug-affected drivers, the consequences can be horrific," he says.

"Rest assured, police will continue to work closely with trucking industry leaders who are passionate about road safety. However, we will not tolerate the small, rogue element who continue to put lives at risk by speeding and recklessly tampering with their vehicles."

Minister for Police Mike Gallacher says time is running out for those in the industry who consider speeding acceptable.

"We want to make speeding for trucks on our roads as socially unacceptable as drink driving and so rare as to be exceptional," Gallacher says.

Gay says the NSW Government has made "huge inroads" in reducing the prevalence of unsafe behaviour in the trucking industry through the use of technology and education.

"Technology now allows RMS to detect the same heavy vehicle at more than one site, enabling clear speed trends to emerge throughout the year, providing clear intelligence on where the most urgent action is needed," Gay says.

"We promised we would tackle the problem of heavy vehicle speeding and now the proof is in the pudding."